1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a double-deck elevator provided with two cars and a car space adjusting device for adjusting the space between the cars so that the space between the cars is substantially equal to the story height. More specifically, the present invention relates to techniques for quickly rescuing passengers from a car of an elevator when a car space adjusting device or a winch malfunctions.
2. Description of the Related Art
A double-deck elevator provided with a double-deck car unit having upper and lower cars is often installed in a skyscraper for efficient space utilization and for improving transporting performance. A double-deck elevator disclosed in JP-A No. Sho 48-76242 is designed for use in a building having floors arranged with irregular story height difference. This prior art double-deck car unit is provided with a car space adjusting device that adjusts the space between the upper and the lower cars so that the platforms of the upper and the lower cars are able to be leveled with adjacent floors simultaneously.
The upper and the lower car are supported on a car support frame. A winch moves the car support frame supporting the upper and the lower car vertically. When the car support frame is stopped at a predetermined position corresponding to destination floors, the car space adjusting device adjusts the space between the upper and the lower car according to the story height between the adjacent floors. In some cases, the car space adjusting operation of the car space adjusting device for adjusting the space between the upper and the lower car is performed simultaneously with the car support frame moving operation of the winch for vertically moving the car support frame.
Passengers are locked up in the cars if the car space adjusting device or the winch malfunctions due to some trouble. If such a trouble occurs, the passengers locked up in the double-deck elevator must weight until a serviceman assigned to the inspection and maintenance of the double-deck elevator arrives at the site and rescues the passengers. The passengers locked up in the upper and the lower car will wish to be rescued quickly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a double-deck elevator enabling the quick rescue of passengers locked up in the cars when the car space adjusting device or the winch malfunctions.
To attain the objective, the present invention provides a double-deck elevator, which includes: a car support frame; a winch for vertically moving the car support frame; a first car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a second car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a car space adjusting device mounted on the car support frame and capable of adjusting a space between the first and the second car according to a floor height difference between two adjacent floors, to which the first and the second cars are to be landed; and an emergency operation controller that monitors the condition of the car space adjusting device and, when the car space adjusting device is unable to operate normally, operates the winch in order to move the car support frame vertically such that the first car and the second car are located at positions corresponding to a first floor and a second floor, to which the first and the second cars are able to be landed, respectively, and opens and closes the doors of the first and the second cars, according to at least one predetermined operating procedure.
Preferably, the at least one operating procedures includes two operating procedures. The emergency operation controller compares a floor height difference between the first and the second floors and a distance between upper surfaces of platforms of the first and the second car, and selects either one of the two operating procedures according to a result of comparison.
One of the two operating procedures may include the steps of moving the car support frame such that the platform of the first car is leveled with the first floor and the platform of the second car is not leveled with the second floor or such that the platforms of both the first and the second cars are not leveled with the first and the second floors, respectively and opening the doors of both the first and the second cars.
Another operating procedure of the two operating procedures may include the steps of moving the car support frame such that the platform of the first car is leveled with the first floor, opening the door of the first car, closing the door of the first car, moving the car support frame such that the platform of the second car is leveled with the second floor, and opening the door of the second car.
If it is impossible to determine the floor height difference between the first and the second floors and the distance between the platforms of the first and the second cars, an operating procedure may include the steps of moving the car support frame such that the platform of the first car is leveled with the first floor, opening the door of the first car, closing the door of the first car, moving the car support frame such that the platform of the second car is leveled with the second floor and opening the door of the second car.
The present invention also provides a double-deck elevator, which includes a car support frame; a winch for vertically moving the car support frame; a first car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a second car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a car space adjusting device mounted on the car support frame and capable of adjusting a space between the first and the second car according to a floor height difference between two adjacent floors, to which the first and the second cars are to be landed; and an emergency operation controller that monitors the condition of the car space adjusting device and, when the car space adjusting device is unable to operate normally, operates the winch in order to move the car support frame vertically such that the first car is landed to a floor and the second car is landed to a floor.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a double-deck elevator, which includes: a car support frame; a winch for vertically moving the car support frame; a first car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a second car supported on the car support frame and provided with a door; a car space adjusting device mounted on the car support frame and capable of adjusting a space between the first and the second car according to a floor height between two adjacent floors, to which the first and the second cars are to be landed; and an emergency operation controller that monitors the condition of the winch and, when the winch is unable to operate normally, operates the car space adjusting device to move the first car and the second car vertically such that the first and the second cars are located at positions corresponding to a first floor and a second floor, to which the first and the second cars are landed, respectively, and opens and closes the doors of the first and the second cars.